The Cosmos
Soi rests in a rather large solar system of twelve planets which revolve around a single giant star. Star The singular large star of the system is Aubade. A brilliant yellow giant Aubade dominates the sky of distant Soi during the day and its powerful light illuminates even the most distant planet of the system to be visible in the night sky. The sun itself appears to have rings from the surface of Soi, due to the large field of debris which circles between the first star and its first planet. The star is known by a number of other names among the nations, but Aubade hailing from the Family Hearth has become the favored name among most great nations. Naturally most people simply refer to the star as "Sun" in their native tongue. Common myths in the primitive cultures of Soi agree that once there was a thirteenth planet even closer to the sun who grew too ambitious and sought to displace Aubade as ruler of the sky. Aubade offended by the the planet's desires crushed it to dust, leaving the remains of it's body as a warning to all other others not to temp the mighty giant's power. The Mamutok offer a less mystical answer which follows the same explanation. The rings around the sun form the gigantic field of a large planet or pair of smaller planets through collision or the forces put off by the star, that were destroyed and the remnants held in orbit around Aubade. Planets Most planets bear the original names given them by the Hearth Family Merchants in the early days of history, but some for reasons of culture of religious significance have captured other names which have generally spread and stuck. Qarib - Rocky Min - Rocky Gor-Rae The third planet from the star, Gor-Rae is an immense rocky planet, the largest of such in the solar system. The nearest planet to the star that lies in its habitable zone, this predominately red-soiled planet sports a scattering of small isolated seas appearing more as immense lakes and wide stretches of icecap at is poles. Named for the Goran Fire-God, this planet's three small moons are normally referred to as "the Sisters". Ealama - This smallish planet seems to be mostly blue with few easily distinguishable breaks in the oceans of the world. There are a number of islands large enough to be visible to those possessed of rudimentary telescopes, the majority of these land masses in the planet's northern hemisphere. Ealama is an oddity among its neighbors as it possesses no moons. Mahzila - Soi's nearest neighbor, Mahzila offers a point of constant speculation to philosophers and scholars alike. Larger and more water laden than Soi this planet sports thick greenery on its land masses. Its two smaller moons orbit in tandem with each other. Some myths identify Mahzila as the original home of the immortals and claim they are travelers or invaders from the neighboring planet. Soi The furthest planet in the "habitable" zone around Aubade, Soi sports a single sizable satellite orbiting it. The planet sports a vast ocean in its northern atmosphere and a nearly unbroken landmass in the southern. While not extremely chilled due to its thick atmosphere for the most part, the poles of the planet are extremely cold supporting small but towering ice-caps. Soi's moon bears the Family Hearth name of Khaalida, the Merchant's word for their female personification of death. Zill - Small Gas Akhar - Largest Gas Hazz - Small Gas Waradi - Smaller than Akhar, but larger than the other gas planets of the system, the most remarkable thing observable about Waradi is its unique color. Ringless and seemingly moonless, the planet appears to be a dull pink when observed with the most powerful of telescopes from the Academy or Mamutok. Jalid - The smallest object orbiting Aubade to be called planet, Jalid seems to wobble around in the sky when it is observed. The speculation for this varies among the people, ranging from unseen moons tugging at it to the planet being the most ancient and having developed tremors due to its vast age like an elderly man. Vahr Reitter Named in antiquity for the Truest King when he was known as the Stone King or Black Knight, the name roughly translates to True Knight in the native dialect of the Broken Kingdom. This small planet is covered in a black ice which gives it a dim silver sheen in the reflected light of Aubade. Outer Comos Aerugo and Argentum A binary system of two stars orbiting each other, named after the Red and Silver Knights of legend. Meridion The "South Star", which sits just above the settlement of Axis. It is critical for use in navigation. Lapis A blue star that shines brightly. Commerce An exoplanet orbiting Lapis, named Commerce because it is allegedly made of Iron. The Cosmic Quagmire A distant area of space which warps orbital paths around it in a mysterious and unexplained way. It is speculated this may be a black hole, but there is not sufficient evidence to confirm this. Category:Soi